Borderlands Brewing, co-founded by Mike Mallozzi and Myles Stone, opened in 2011, and they have been using local ingredients and regional techniques introduced by German settlers in the 1800s since the beginning.

Borderlands Brewing, co-founded by Mike Mallozzi and Myles Stone, opened in 2011, and they have been using local ingredients and regional techniques introduced by German settlers in the 1800s since the beginning.

Community is the central focus at Borderlands. “From the ingredients we use”—like locally harvested prickly pear fruit, Mexican vanilla, and pecans—“to the causes we support”—like Living Streets Alliance, Sierra Club, and Watershed Management, to name a few—“Borderlands has always focused on the community,” Mallozzi says.

Other collaborations include Smoke and Irons, a mesquite-smoked Scottish ale released in partnership with the Tucson Fire Foundation, and Noce Dulce, a dark beer brewed with real Mexican vanilla from Arizona Vanilla Company.

Borderlands is located in the Tooley and Sons Produce Warehouse at 119 E. Toole Ave. The warehouse has been in Stone’s family for generations, and it offers a vintage industrial feel that works both for ambiance and utility. In addition to providing a space to brew beer, the facility houses a taproom, private event space, outdoor beer garden, and bocce court. They don’t have a kitchen, but there’s a food truck every Friday and Saturday evening, and they sell locally made chips and salsa from the 4th Ave Deli.

The taproom has live music three to four nights a week, as well as special events, including the Space Drafts astronomy lecture series, where local astronomers discuss their research, and the UA Science café, hosted during the fall and spring semesters.

“We also frequently hold fundraisers for non-profits,” Mallozzi says.

Borderlands’ beer can be purchased in the taproom by the pint, 10-ounce glass, growler, can, and keg. Finley also distributes the beer to restaurants and retail outlets, including Fry’s, Trader Joe’s, Total Wine, and local bottle shops.